Monday, February 7, 2011

I've interviewed Chuck Dixon before, about Winterworld, and other great works, but here is something special. An interview with Chuck about an upcoming release, that has something of Chuck's heart embedded within...

It's a graphic novel adaptation of the Book of Samuel from the Old Testament. It's the tragic reign of Saul and the rise of David.

Have you read much about the various arguments about the existence of King David from biblical time with regards to legend versus known or understand facts?

No. I haven't. But The Word is the The Word and I take it on faith that David was more than a legend. He's not King Arthur. He really lived.

Are you a believer? Does that have an impact upon the work?

Absolutely and absolutely.

I am asking as a Christian, does the work have overtly religious themes, or, does the simple knowledge of the main players of the drama being Biblical enough? Is the story in any way a metaphor?

God is certainly a presence in the story as an unseen source of punishment, mercy and authority. It's a story of people though. All the drama is built in for a classic military story as well as a romance. There's no metaphor. It's a very compelling story of human failure and human triumph in an age when God took a direct hand in the events of makind's history.

Who is the artist, what does he bring to such a story?

Aaron Minier is the guy. His work is very original and he really brings a unique look to the story. He and I did a great deal of research to present an authentic look at a very exotic time period that's quite alien to our own. I wanted an artist who wouldn't treat this like a kind of half-baked Conan story. Aaron delivered pure magic.

Will it be on comic book shelves, religious book store shelves, or online at amazon and such.

I hadn't thought about it.
I assume it'll be widely available.

Do special niche comics offer a refuge from the mainstream?

In terms of sales, niche comics ARE the mainstream. A hit in the superhero crowd sells 10K in trades. A "niche" hit like The Walking Dead or American Born Chinese sells many times that. BoD will do big numbers because its appeal is greater than that of a superhero title.

How do you perceive the reception of this work? Will it be enhanced by present trends of the market, or not, or worse, ignored?

I think it'll do well. It's an old, familiar story told in a fresh and exciting way without violating the original text. As I toiled the guys I was working for on this, "This is one author I don't feel right re-writing."

Are religious themes simply being told from a mythic perspective rather than from a powers or mutation aspect? I am thinking, and trying for Powers. In mundane comics there few characters given religiously based powers... Super heroes have powers, and they come by accident, or mutation. Are there any expressions of powers of any sort? I assume they'd be religiously centered.

David isn't given special powers by God beyond the abilities he was born with. What lifts David to greatness is the courage he derives from his faith in God. I draw a lot of that out in the famous encounter with Goliath. David is SO cool in the face of Goliath's blasphemous taunts.

Is Beau Smith the actual Fifth Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Yes. Except that he'll arrive on the back of armadillo the size of a Clydesdale.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Charlie Sheen is an actor, of some ability, who is a handsome, bright, talented human being. He makes many people laugh.

Actor Charlie Sheen is addicted to cocaine and other drugs. He has gone on benders, wherein he consumes large quantities of drugs, illegally acquired. He purchases the services of women, for sexual pleasure and company. He spends more money on such women and drugs in one year than I will make, in the entire of my lifetime. And he works on the television show Two and a Half Men on CBS, who employs Sheen despite his many legal issues and his failure to quit his destructive lifestyle. The only thing that could stop his lifestyle other than personal restraint or death, would seem to be the stoppage of payment from CBS, but the show is very popular. He is not in danger, apparently, of losing his job, for his destructive behavior. Because CBS makes money from his performance, and won't cancel the show.

CBS is not responsible for Sheen's behavior. Nor, apparently is Sheen.

So continue to enjoy Two and a Half Men, at least until Sheen dies, if not in reruns and syndication, where CBS will continue to make a great deal of money.